1) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to card games of chance and more particularly to a new method of playing a card game using the general rules of poker to evaluate each hand in the game.
2) Description of the Prior Art
The game of poker has many variations at present such as five card stud poker, seven card stud poker, Texas hold-em poker, and the like. The rules of poker are applied to each variation of the basic game of poker to evaluate each hand in each of the poker game variations. Most variations of poker consist of five cards or selection of five cards from seven cards that are dealt to each player and available to each player at each hand. Variations of poker also include the game of Pai Gow poker with many variations on the way basic Pai Gow poker can be played.
Poker games are not only popular among social groups or even among family members but are also played at casinos throughout the world. Casino card game play usually involves the game known as 21 or blackjack. Many recent variations of this game have recently been patented and many of these variations of the basic game of 21 are now being played in casinos. For a card game to be played at a casino the game must be simple and yet challenging to the player. One objective of card games played at a casino is that the card game be played quickly so as to tend to maximize the income derived from the playing of the game by the casino or what is called in game vernacular the house.
The game of 21 is relatively well suited for general play at gambling casinos in that it usually involves each player being dealt five cards or less by a house dealer with each player making wagers against the house player or dealer. The basic rules for the playing of the game of 21 are simple and each hand of the game can be quickly played at a casino. If the player in the game of 21 is dealt cards that total in point count that is closer in point count to 21 than the card point count of the dealer then the player wins the hand. If the dealer has a card point count in a hand closer to 21 than that of any player then the dealer wins that hand. There are other relatively simple rules that also govern play of this game but the important goal of each hand is for the player to have a card hand that is closer to 21 than the card hand of the dealer.
In some states such as California casino card play is legal for wagers made by players. However, some identified card games are illegal in California and other states for play in casinos. The game of 21, for example, is illegal for play in casinos in the State Of California. Card playing for money at casinos is legal for the simple reason that individuals will play certain card games for money at card rooms or the like even if made illegal by statute. Statutory law simply cannot legislate morality or cannot prohibit certain activities of persons that appear to be ingrained into the human psyche and the playing of card games for money appears to be such an activity.
Because the game of 21 is illegal for casino play in California similar games have been invented and are being played at casinos in California. Variations of the basic game of 21 include each player being dealt multiple hands such as two hands for the basic game of 21 or enough cards to form two hand each time the dealer distributes cards to all players at a wagering table. Another popular version of the basic game of 21 is the game of 22 now being played in many casinos in California where each player attempts to combine cards so that the point count total of each hand is as close to 22 as possible.
Casinos obtain their revenue from the playing of cards by taking a set amount or percentage from each pot on each hand in many poker type games. Casinos can also obtain revenue by requiring each player to pay a certain amount of seat rental in a game. In point count games such as in the game of 21 the casino usually has a dealer who plays for the house against each other player according to the rules of 21 and the house odds are slightly better than the odds for an individual player so the casino obtains revenue in this manner as well.
Most card games at casinos are similar to the basic game of 21 in that these games involve a point count on each hand in order to determine which player is the winner and which players are the losers on each hand played. In a point count game the number cards in a regular card deck have their number count and face cards each count 10 for arriving at the total point count for each hand. This kind of game is played relatively quickly at a casino which permits the casino to maximize its revenue from each hand or each game, whereas poker hands such as seven card stud poker are played relatively slowly at the casino and are less popular for that reason among persons who patronize card rooms and casinos where card games are played.
The basic rules of regular poker assign rank values to each hand based on the odds of achieving such a hand. For example a straight flush is the best hand unless a joker is used in which case five of a kind would be the best hand. Next four of a kind beats a full house hand consisting of a five card hand with three of a kind and also two or a kind or a pair. Then a five card flush beats a five card straight which beats three of a kind which beats two pairs in one hand which beats one pair. If there are ties such as if there are two five card straits between two players of any one hand then the higher in rank straight beats the lower in rank straight.
A method of playing a card game between the house and players using both the point count rules of the game of 21 and the basic rules of poker is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,678,821 by Hedman. This game also has an optional progressive jackpot bet. This is a three handed game and is relatively complex especially since the players must use the point count method of identifying the winning hand and the card ranking method of regular poker.
A variation of the basic game of 21 is described by Marquez in U.S. Pat. No. 5,288,082 in which game each player has two distinct hands for evaluation using the basic card point count method. Each player is dealt a front hand and a back hand compared to the front hand and the back hand of a dealer or house player.
Wolf in U.S. Pat. No. 5,314,194 describes a game wherein each player has a first and a second hand ranked by the rules of ordinary poker with a complex wagering process. The winner in this game is determined by whomever wins both the first hand and the second hand.
Cabot in U.S. Pat. No. 5,322,295 describes a multiple hand card game in which wagers are made on each card dealt as opposed to a wager on each hand dealt. Hands are evaluated using the basic point card count method in order to determine the winning hand.
Franklin in U.S. Pat. No. 5,584,486 describes a complex game wherein each player is dealt seven cards and from the seven cards forms a high hand and a low hand using the rules of regular poker to rank the hands. When the player forms a low hand that is lower than the low hand of the dealer or house player and a high hand that is higher in rank that the high hand of the dealer then that player wins the hand. Another feature of this game is that if any player makes an optional jackpot wager on any hand and is also dealt a predetermined seven card jackpot holding.